The collaboration between the Swedish sleep technology company and EF Pro Cycling reflects our shared focus on performance, recovery, and creating the conditions required to perform in elite sport. Somnus Lab has provided custom Somnus race units for EF Pro Cycling to use at selected races and training camps throughout the season. EF Pro Cycling’s men’s, women’s and development squads will use Somnus sleep and recovery pads at races such as the Tour of Flanders, Tour de France, La Vuelta a España, Tour de Suisse, and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

At the highest level of cycling, performance depends on how consistently riders can recover between races, travel, and hard blocks of training. EF Pro Cycling’s partnership with Somnus Lab brings sleep and recovery into sharper focus as part of the team’s broader performance efforts.

"Sleep is when the body’s recovery processes are at their strongest,” said EF Pro Cycling performance director Nate Wilson. “Anything we can do to optimize and add consistency to the sleep environment is a massive help in a sport where the sleep environment changes day to day. Somnus Lab allows us to have that consistency and have a strong impact on maintaining optimal body temperature overnight, which ultimately enhances sleep and enhances recovery.”

EF Pro Cycling’s athletes have tested out their Somnus Lab pads and are excited by the technology. They are excited to use them at major races.

“In a race like the Tour de France, the days are long and intense,” said Olympic gold medalist and Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz. “Having a cool, comfortable sleep, and the same type of bed to return to every night, makes a huge difference in how you feel. Somnus Lab helps you disconnect, rest well, and wake up ready to race again the next day.”

World champion Magdeleine Vallieres agrees with Carapaz. Vallieres is as diligent about her sleep quality as she is about the work that she does on her bike.

"Recovery is a huge part of performance,” Vallieres said. “We train really hard, and to be able to have the adaptation, it is super important to be able to recover in between. Sleep is one of the best ways to recover, so I always prioritize it. We are always looking for the one percent things to help us get better. Having Somnus Lab is one of these things. The cooling/heating system helps me sleep better. I don’t wake up in the night as much and feel more recovered when I wake up in the morning.”

Improving athletes’ sleep quality is one of EF Pro Cycling’s performance team’s main priorities. Team doctor Richard Lawrence stresses the importance of sleep for rider health and durability, as well as their speed and strength on the bike.

"From a doctor’s perspective, sleep quality is one of the most critical yet underestimated factors in athletic performance and recovery,” Dr. Lawrence said. 

“Our cyclists place immense physical stress on their bodies, and deep, uninterrupted sleep is when most tissue repair and muscle adaptation occurs. Consistently resting in the same bed helps condition the brain to be comfortable in that environment, improving many aspects of sleep quality,” he said.

A cool sleeping environment is equally essential. The body’s core temperature naturally drops to initiate sleep, and a cooler room supports this process. Consequently, warm environments can impair sleep quality and recovery. This is where Somnus Lab can play a massive role. By focusing on overall sleep environment optimization - such as temperature regulation, bedding consistency as well as data-driven sleep tracking, Somnus Lab helps our athletes create ideal conditions for recovery, an approach which supports their circadian rhythms and promotes quality sleep.

“Poor sleep can impair reaction time, endurance, and cognitive performance, hence increasing injury risk,” said Dr. Lawrence. “Therefore, integrating structured sleep solutions, alongside consistent habits, is a medical necessity for cyclists seeking peak performance and health.”

EF Education-Oatly head of performance Fabien Rabeau sees firsthand how well Somnus’ pads work for our athletes. Somnus Lab develops advanced sleep technology designed to optimize the sleep environment through intelligent temperature regulation and personalized comfort throughout the night. Its dual-zone sleep pad supports recovery, sleep quality, and overnight readiness through individualized temperature control on each side of the bed. Rabeau is very enthusiastic about our new partnership.

“In a sport where performance is closely tied to how well you recover, having a reliable and optimized sleep environment makes a real difference day after day,” Rabeau said. “The Somnus mat works by actively managing the temperature of the sleeping surface through a controlled water-based system. By circulating water at precise temperatures, it helps maintain an optimal thermal environment throughout the night, adapting to the body’s needs. Thermoregulation plays a crucial role in sleep quality. By stabilizing temperature and avoiding overheating, the Somnus system enhances both the efficiency and the restorative quality of sleep, which is essential for consistent recovery and performance."

EF Pro Cycling and Somnus Lab will work closely on product development. In addition to race data, the collaboration will provide Somnus Lab with access to EF Pro Cycling’s sports science group and technical feedback from riders and performance staff to support Somnus Lab’s ongoing research and development efforts.

"At the highest level of sport, recovery is part of performance. We are proud to partner with EF Pro Cycling and support their riders and performance staff with sleep technology designed to improve recovery, readiness, and consistency over the course of a demanding season," said Chu Zhu, founder of Somnus Lab.

For Somnus Lab, the partnership marks another step in bringing advanced sleep technology into elite endurance sport, where recovery quality can shape how athletes adapt, perform, and sustain consistency over time.

Thanks to Somnus Lab, EF Pro Cycling’s athletes will sleep and race better.

About Somnus Lab

Somnus Lab is a sleep technology company dedicated to optimizing human recovery through intelligent, temperature-regulated sleep environments. By combining advanced water-based thermal control with personalized bio-sensing software, Somnus Lab helps high-performance athletes and health-conscious individuals achieve the restorative sleep necessary to meet the demands of an active life.

About EF Pro Cycling

EF Pro Cycling is a world-class professional cycling organization with a mission to spread the joy of cycling and explore the world through elite competition. Across its men’s, women’s, and development teams—including EF Education–EasyPost and EF Education–Oatly—the program emphasizes technical innovation, cultural curiosity, and a commitment to high-performance standards on the global racing calendar.